LeafOfFaith
Well-known member
Oops, looks like the Sutters are next in line to get skewered.
Around the League 2019-2024 Edition
- Thread starter LeafGm
- Start date
hockeylover
Well-known member
I don’t know why you corrected LeafGM that it was only one Habs fan and then said the exact same thing.
But anyways, hard thing to refute that you should be afraid in the playoffs until we see the matchup.
Habsy
Not playing around anymore.
The Bruins are obviously an excellent team. It's just one of those things in Hockey where the Habs give them fits in the playoffs. The salient point that Deckie mentioned is the Habs actually getting in the playoffs. Like CBJ beating the lightning last year, the Habs beating the Bruins would open up the east. The Habs are in a slump right now, who knew losing Drouin and Byron would cause this, it shows they still have a lack of depth. The 8-1 drubbing is an outlier, the Habs usually play the Bruins very tough. It's that rivalry thing.
Habsy
Not playing around anymore.
I do not know how anyone can say Guy Lafleur was underestimated let alone "very very underestimated"? I've surely rarely, if ever, heard him referred to as such.
I'm just pointing out that for some reason, no matter how good or bad the teams are, Montreal always seems to give the Bruins troubles. So if a Hab fan doesn't have the amount of fear that should match the disparity in the teams... it's because of that history... not that we think the Habs are better than the Bruins.
Even with all of that... I still wouldn't bet on the Habs against the Bruins though. I would just feel better about it than I would against another team as good as the Bruins.
I was actually discussing Guy with a handful of 40 year old and younger hockey fans awhile back.... they had no idea just how good Guy was. He may have been appreciated at the time, but that hasn't aged as well as other players who dominated an era.
Habsy
Not playing around anymore.
Ah right, if they don't see it on their social media it never happened...
Same. Guy LaFleur was a huge star during his playing days, in the US as well as Canada, is in the Hall of Fame and has a freaking statue outside of the arena. IIRC he's been also been a standard fixture on those 100 greatest NHL players lists for as long as I can remember. I'm not sure how much more accurately rated a guy can be. Dude's an all time great. Calling him under-rated is like saying Mike Bossy is under-rated because I haven't heard anyone say his name out loud in a couple of months.
And, to be a grumpy old man for a minute, kids these days need to dig into the record books every so often. The league was a heck of a lot of fun to watch back in the 70s and 80s too.
MindzEye
Wayward Ditch Pig
Only problem is that goaltending was so obviously horrible back then, that it takes the edge off of how impressive some of those 70's and 80's studs were. Watching 70mph slap shots along the ice go past a flailing "stand up" goalie is high comedy man. There is a clear delineation in the record books imo between pre and post butterfly goaltending hitting the league. Basically before and after Patrick Roy.
Matrim
Well-known member
When I played ball hockey we needed a goalie as ours wasn't available and we found this one guy who ended up playing stand up and gave up goals from centre along the floor. He was gone after that game. It was dumb to watch.
Sure ... I absolutely get that. I don't think it has any real impact on the lasting reputation of the best offensive players of that era however. It takes the shine off of the numbers a bit, but whatever. The best scorer of a generation with garbage goaltenders would likely have still been that if the goalies had been better.
MindzEye
Wayward Ditch Pig
I was just responding to the bit about the league being a lot of fun to watch in the 70's and 80's. In it's time and place, sure, it's hockey. For someone with comtemporary knowledge of hockey looking backwards....not really. Even watching replays of some of my favourite games from Leaf history in the early 90's, the players largely look like they're skating in mud, the goalies flail all over the play and look sloppy, there's uncalled goon shit all over the place, etc.
and yeah, I don't fault the best players from that generation for being from that generation, you can only play when you played. Can't control the external stuff. It does cheapen the imagery a bit though when the legendary winger comes down the wing, fires a well placed duck and the goalie awkwardly fires out a leg and misses.
Volcanologist
Well-known member
what's really changed is the level of the non-star player, ie most of the league, which has risen drastically since Richard's day. most any oldtimer would admit that, I suspect.
leafman101
Well-known member
Sure ... but that's all we knew and that's what hockey looked like. We didn't have the luxury of comparing to the modern game. Perspective makes a HUGE difference. And yeah. I get where you're coming from and you're not wrong.
zeke
Well-known member
damn all four of those goals are absolute woofers.
reminds me that we should be doing even more to shrink the goalie.
zeke
Well-known member
Volcanologist
Well-known member
look how hard he's grinding though
MyNameIsJonas
Well-known member
Pretty sure Huddy's Kings tenure was them doing Wayne a favor doubg a favor for an Oiler buddy who helped hin bury a hooker ir two